US Issues New Terror Warning to Citizens Abroad - 2002-10-10

The State Department has issued a warning to U.S. citizens abroad that they may face new terrorist attacks from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network. The warning follows apparent terror attacks against U.S. soldiers in Kuwait and on a French oil tanker near Yemen, and new taped threats attributed to Mr. bin Laden and a key deputy.

Though the bin Laden tape, broadcast this week by the Arabic news channel al-Jazeera, has not been authenticated or dated, it is cited in the State Department warning, which urges Americans abroad to remain vigilant in the face of the "continuing threat" of terrorist actions targeting U.S. interests and civilians.

The statement says the U.S. government continues to receive "credible indications" that extremists are planning additional terrorist attacks on Americans including, it says, but not limited to, suicide operations.

The travel warning follows a similar FBI terrorism alert to U.S. domestic law enforcement agencies and a State Department cable to U.S. embassies and consulates abroad alerting them to the possibility of new attacks.

State Department officials said earlier Thursday the administration is now inclined to believe that both the gun attack on U.S. soldiers in Kuwait Tuesday that killed one American and the explosion that heavily damaged a French supertanker off Yemen Sunday, were terrorist acts.